The Nation alters structure to cut costs - Bangkok Post, August 1, 2008
...According to Pana Janviroj, president of The Nation, starting today the English daily is no longer operated by Nation Multimedia Group (NMG). Instead, it operates separately under NMG Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the parent company. Also, a separate sub-editing company partly owned by former sub-editors of The Nation will be set up with the backing of NMG.
Last week, the parent company offered a voluntary early retirement package for editorial staff. About 30 Thai and foreign workers out of 130 took the package...
The Nation for sale - July 25, 2008
Sources report that the Nation Group is looking to sell off the English-language Nation and Xpress newspaper operations.
Among the rumored changes:
- deep cuts including firing all foreign staff and rehiring them on one-year contracts
- setting up a new company to hold liabilities (such as staff) to clean up The Nation balance sheet for an eventual sale (probably complicating this is are local rules that limit foreign ownership in media to 49%)
- replacing top editors with those "less strident" about Thaksin and the PPP to regain lost ad revenue |
(Source: The Nation front
page, July 1, 1971) |
End of an era: The Nation to become a "business daily" - February 21, 2008
Once Xpress starts, The Nation be billed as "Thailand's Largest Business Daily" and feature mostly business news with one page of features, op-ed, and general news. Perhaps this is to sync up to The Nation Group's Krungthep Turakij, which has also been billed as "Thailand's Largest Business Daily."
Xpress, a free newspaper, will feature all of the news, sports, features, comics, etc. that used to be in The Nation.
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On February 12 we pointed out the Xpress website: The page seems to be a test from January 18, 2008 and contains sections such as "The Fun," "Expat," "Good Morning, Bangkok," and "The Provinces."
No word from "Thailand's first English-language business daily," Business Daily.
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The Nation creates history - The Nation, February 27, 2008
...The changes, which will start on March 5, are meant to better serve our readers, who we regard as smart, daring, knowledge-able, and tech savvy. Thanks to a thorough survey of media in Thailand we know that our readers are exactly that and we have planned the changes accordingly...
Brighter look for the Post - Bangkok Post, March 3, 2008
[The Post attempts to upstage The Nation by announcing a newly designed newspaper.]
...Starting today the Bangkok Post offers its readers a new look, and our latest design changes are aimed at making our newspaper more reader friendly. Apart from providing our readers with the best stories of the day, our front page has been changed and will now serve as a ''window'' to help you navigate through the newspaper and its inside sections more easily.
The Bangkok Post's latest design change has incorporated more visual effects to create a bigger impact with news stories and make our newspaper look more attractive.
...The Bangkok Post is the best-selling English-language newspaper in Thailand. It has long been the English-language newspaper with the largest circulation and is the only newspaper in Thailand which has its circulation audited...
Nation
Group to slim down - The Nation,
April 25, 2006
...Among the non-core assets is a land plot at Bangna-Trat
kilometre 29 where the printing house is located. Thanachai
said that while the printing house takes up 20 rai, the
remaining 30 rai, facing the main road, was unused.
"If we are not making use of the land, we may consider
selling the unused land," he said.
...Suthichai Yoon, a director of the company who supervises
the broadcasting business, said that the 24-hour television
news service required high investment in terms of equipment.
As a result, the business has incurred losses. But he
said that to cut losses, Nation Channel, the TV station
of NMG, would shuffle its programming to focus more on
news programmes rather than on around-the-clock news reporting...
(Source: The Nation front page,
July 1, 1971)
Happy birthday to The Nation -
July 1
On July 1, 1971 The first edition of The Nation was
published. On the front page, 25-year-old Suthichai Yoon
wrote the newspaper's manifesto:
(Source: The Nation front
page, July 1, 1971) |
The How and Why of The Nation by Suthichai Yoon
There is one thing that every newspaper must have--a moral
justification for its existence. That is what made us decide to
launch The Nation.
After the only other two English-language dailies here merged
under foreign ownership, it became obvious to us that the existence
of such a paper as ours not only morally just, but also morally
necessary...
The Nation will be a responsible newspaper that follows an independent
and impartial editorial policy.
"
The Nation will strive to be a medium for the mutual exchange of
views between the government and the people, interpreting the
actions of the government to the public while also reflecting
popular sentiment. It will not shy away from voicing criticism
if that criticism is of a thoughtful nature, and will voice it
without prejudice or antagonism.
The Nation will identify with the Thai Press, and will on no account
attempt to form part of a separate institution just because it
is not printed in the Thai language...
We know a good percentage of our readers will belong to the foreign
community and they will not only have adequate world news but
they will also enjoy something they have not had before--a frank
and accurate picture of the country in which they have chosen
to live and work.
To us, a brickbat is as welcome as a bouquet. The Nation is your
newspaper.
[The two English-language dailies that merged under foreign ownership
were the Bangkok Post and Bangkok World.] |
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